Wykeham McNeill staying in representational politics

Western Bureau:

Despite losing his Westmoreland Western seat to political neophyte Morland Wilson in the last general election, Peoples National Party (PNP) heavyweight Dr Wykeham McNeill says he has no intention of walking away from representational politics.

The 64-year-old McNeill, who was once touted as a future leader of the PNP, said that while his loss to Wilson was unexpected, he has taken full responsibility for the defeat and is determined to continue working on behalf of the people of Westmoreland.

“I have worked hard, but sometimes even when you have done a lot, it is just not enough,” said McNeill, who was speaking publicly for the first time about his loss. “As the candidate, I bear all responsibilities for it, but I am a worker and a performer, and in the case where you lose, you just have to take responsibility and work harder.”

“The councillors who are there worked with me in my election, and it is my responsibility to support them in their local government election whenever it is called,” continued McNeill. “Those are my commitments, especially to Western Westmoreland, so I continue as the chairman of the constituency, and I am working on the structure.”

McNeill, who entered the political arena with the blessings of his father, Kenneth McNeill, a former minister of health, was first elected as a member of parliament in 1997 and subsequently served four consecutive terms before losing to Wilson, as the PNP was swept out of government by a 49-14 margin by the current Andrew Holness-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in September 2020.

The PNP’s stunning defeat led to the subsequent resignation of Dr Peter Phillips as opposition leader and PNP president. He was succeeded by Mark Golding, who brushed aside the challenge of Lisa Hanna to become the leader of the party.

While McNeill was one of the four PNP vice-presidents who resigned his post in the aftermath of the contentious party presidential election, McNeill hopes to one day return to the nation’s Parliament as the representative for the residents of Westmoreland Western.

McNeill, who served as the minister of tourism in the last PNP administration, is a medical doctor by profession. In addition to politics, over the years he has served on various state boards, including the Sports Development Foundation. He has also worked with a number of national sporting teams, including the Reggae Boyz. He was a part of Jamaica’s medical team to the 1996 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.